Your analytical research essay will begin with a question in mind for which you do not have the answer or take a stance. In your research, you will gather information and then make a claim about a social movement (current or past). For example, a question about BLM could be, Have Blacks benefitted from the Black Lives Matter movement thus far? The answer to your question is your thesis and will drive the content of your research. Many researchers do not come to a conclusion about their topic until they’ve completed the research and drafted the essay because, through research and writing, you are still uncovering answers.